On Media

Venezuela president threatens to expel CNN

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro threatened to throw CNN out of the country on Thursday if they don't change their coverage of protests and civil unrest in the country.

"I've asked (information) minister Delcy Rodríguez. to tell CNN we have started the administrative process to remove them from Venezuela if they don't rectify (their coverage)," Maduro said on state TV. "Enough! I won't accept war propaganda against Venezuela. If they don't rectify this, they're out of the country."

Protests against Maduro over several issues, including inflation, crime, corruption and shortages of products like medical supplies have rocked the country in the past few weeks. Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez turned himself in on Tuesday after the government charged him with terrorism and murder, though the murder charges were dropped on Thursday. Human rights groups have condemned his arrest, saying it is politically motivated.

Local television networks have provided almost no live coverage of the protests against Maduro, Reuters reports, so many in the country are turning to CNN Español. Colombia-based news network NTN24 was taken off cable in Venezuela after it showed live coverage of violence that started last week.

A CNN spokesperson told Reuters the network had no official comment on Maduro's threat.